Szilágyszér hosted the meeting of the presbyters

The spring meeting of the Presbyters’ Association of the Reformed Diocese of Nagykároly was organised in Szilágyszér on 18 April 2026. During the event, those present listened to a presentation by Rev. Kánya Zsolt Attila, who spoke about Christian conflict management.

Presbyters arrived at the event from Bogdánd, Érdengeleg, Érkőrös, Hadad, Hadadnádasd, Iriny, Kaplony, Lele, Mezőterem, Nagykároly, Szekeres, Szilágypér, Tasnád, and naturally from the local congregation of Szilágyszér as well.

The meeting began with a worship service held in the church, where pastor Csürös Róbert preached God’s Word based on Romans 12:18. The preacher emphasised that everyone should strive for peace both within their family community and in the congregation. Peace must begin within us, as through our actions, words, tone of voice or even facial expressions we may express anger toward others, often unintentionally. What seems natural to us may hurt others.

“As Christians, I must be aware that I need to supervise not only my actions, but also my words, feelings and thoughts through the guidance of God’s Spirit. In matters of peace, we greatly need God’s help, that He may give us the wisdom to pay attention to ourselves and to the people around us,” said the reverend.

In harmony with the sermon, the presentation at the meeting also highlighted the importance of consensual cooperation with one another. Kánya Zsolt Attila explained the definition of conflict, presented biblical examples of disputes, and introduced six methods of conflict resolution. He spoke about destructive and constructive confrontations, emphasising the usefulness of the latter.

“When something needs to be addressed in the Christian world, we must be guided by the teaching of Scripture. The world may handle conflicts differently, in a much more aggressive way, but we must focus on how we can deal with our conflicts according to Christ and the teachings of the Bible,” the speaker stressed.

After the presentation, many questions and comments were raised. One important issue was how to deal with people who constantly create tension in their communities because of certain personality-related difficulties. One of the main conclusions was that love is an essential factor in resolving conflicts, and problems must be discussed in time. Congregations should become communities where peace exists. Only in such an environment will people truly desire to belong, especially since many already face enough conflicts in their family or workplace.

The participants were welcomed by Almási Csaba, president of the diocesan Presbyters’ Association, who expressed his joy that many presbyters considered this meeting important once again. He thanked the congregation of Szilágyszér for providing a venue for the event. He pointed out that the choice of topic was not accidental, as conflicts between people are unfortunately becoming more frequent, and this presentation may help participants handle such situations properly.

The participants also discussed whom to nominate from the diocese for next year’s Presbyters’ Association Award. The nomination went to Erdei Sándor from Érkőrös, who has faithfully served and continues to serve his church. It was also agreed that the next presbyters’ meeting will be held in the church of the Reformed Congregation of Nagykároly-Kertváros. The event concluded with a fellowship meal.